Otium
by MissLindaLee
Summary: In an attempt to have some semblance of a normal life, Linda is given permission to leave Smallville and spend her Spring Break week in Central City with Barry Allen and Team Flash. (Eleventh story in the remastered Angelica Corsusca series)
1. Chapter 1

"Okay, here we are," Barry replied as he stopped next to the front door of a quaint house just outside of Central City, setting a small roller suitcase down at his feet. He glanced to his side as Linda stopped at the top of the stairs, looking uneasy as she clutched the strap of the backpack slung over her shoulders. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Linda replied, "I guess." She glanced around the large wraparound porch. "Nice place."

"It is," Barry agreed, "and the inside's even nicer." Linda didn't appear convinced, and Barry sighed a little before walking over to her and putting her hands on her shoulders. "Look, I know this has gotta be weird, being in a unfamiliar place without your family around, but you're safe here."

"I know," Linda replied, "I'm not doubting that, but…," she glanced up at Barry, who waited expectantly, "why I'm still trying to figure out why my parents let me come out here in the first place? My powers haven't fully come in, and I haven't exactly been…trustworthy these past few months."

Barry's expression softened a little. "You're still bothered by what happened in January."

"I haven't talked with anyone besides you since it happened," Linda said, "and the things I said to them that night…," she trailed off, looking downward.

Barry sighed. "You know what happened when I came back from Smallville that night?" he asked. "They made sure I was physically okay, but…then they asked about you." Linda looked up, a little surprised. "Cisco didn't even bother checking out the damage to the suit until after he was sure you were going to be okay—and you know how he feels about the suit." Linda didn't appear convinced. "Linda, no one here is holding a grudge for the things you said and did that night—they know it wasn't you; they're looking forward to having you here just as much as I am."

"I know," Linda replied, "and please don't think I'm ungrateful, but I'd still feel a little more comfortable staying with you."

"And if I didn't live with my adoptive father," Barry said, "who happens to be a **very** good police detective and would be very suspicious as to why I'm hanging out with a sixteen-year-old girl," Linda raised an eyebrow, folding her arms, and Barry's eyes widened a little as he felt the color draining from his cheeks, "uh, not that you're not great company and all, but he doesn't really know—"

"Barry, it's okay," Linda replied, amused. "Clark already explained everything: you live with someone who doesn't know me, there's no room at Caitlin and Ronnie's place, and—"

"Everyone's in agreement that Cisco should not be left unsupervised with you," Barry finished, "and since Professor Stein has his own place—and his wife will be out of town—it's only logical that you stay here for the week." He walked over to the front door and pressed the doorbell; as Linda joined Barry, both of them heard a muffled, but eloquent, chime resonated through the house.

Linda's heart skipped and her stomach tightened as hearing picked up the sound of footsteps approaching; she fought the urge to take a peek, waiting as patiently as possible. A few moments passed before they heard the distinct click of the door unlocking, and she switched back to her normal hearing as the door opened. Professor Stein stood on the other side, dressed in one of his typical sweater and slacks combinations; he smiled when he saw the two visitors on his porch.

"Mr. Allen," he said before turning to Linda, and the young girl saw his expression change into something a bit more fatherly. "Miss Kent, it's good to see you again."

"Same here, Professor," Linda replied, smiling a bit. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, I assure you," Stein said, standing aside. "Please come in."

Barry picked up Linda's suitcase and waited until Linda walked through the open frame before following. The young girl slowly made her way through the house, looking around at the pristine entryway; she stopped between the sitting and living areas. The furniture and décor—while pretty and elegant—were totally different than her own home (and not particularly her style), but she had to admit the numerous windows provided an enviable amount of natural lighting; the young girl knew she'd have to take advantage of that later.

"You okay?" Barry asked, seeing her expression as he shut the door.

"Yeah," Linda replied.

"You sure," Barry asked, unconvinced, "because you got this weird look on your face right now."

Linda smiled. "I'm just admiring the natural lighting, that's all."

"Natural lighting affords a more cost-effective electric bill," Stein said as he and Barry joined the teenager. "It's one of the numerous reasons my wife and I chose this particular residence," the corners of Stein's mouth curled slightly at Linda's expression, "though I right to assume that your admiration stems from a more artistic origin than an economical one?"

"A true artist never takes a break," Linda replied, patting her backpack. "I brought a few supplies to do some work, if that's okay."

Stein's smile increased a bit. "The morning light is brightest over there," he said, pointing to the bay window in the living room.

"Aurora musis artis," Linda replied, smiling. Barry raised an eyebrow, and Linda's smile faded. "Sorry."

"Don't be, my dear," Stein replied. "I think it's admirable to know more than one language, especially for someone your age; I know two, myself."

"No, it's not that," Linda said. "Latin is more than something I've learned since being on Earth; it's apparently connected to my Kryptonian heritage." Stein furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "To make an **extremely** long story short, there are some ancient artifacts I have that contain a set of Kryptonian symbols on them that translate into 'Caeulum videre iussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus.'"

"'He bid them look at the sky and lift their faces to the stars,'" Stein replied slowly. "That's from Ovid's _Metamorphoses_."

"That we know," Linda replied, "but what we don't know is why it's there or the reason for these artifacts in the first place," she shrugged, "and, honestly, given everything that's happened recently, I'm debating whether I **want** to know anymore." She shrugged. "It seems like every time I deal with something from Krypton or related to Krypton—outside of my cousin—it always ends badly: my father, the caves," she took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure as she smiled sadly, "kryptonite."

Stein took a deep breath. "My dear, I can't even begin to imagine what you've experienced over these past few months, but I do hope you know that no one here faults you for your behavior while under the influence of the red kryptonite."

"I know," Linda replied.

"And, from what Mr. Allen explained to us," Stein continued, "it seems the incident did have a silver lining of sorts: it did explain that your visions were merely memories implanted by your mentor as a result of witnessing your father commit a horrible atrocity," he paused, "which doesn't sound much better than believing you're becoming mentally unstable—"

"Professor," Linda interrupted gently, "it's okay. I mean, it was rough at first, but I'm doing a lot better now: I haven't had any memories surfacing since that night, and I've managed to stay away from anything related to Krypton—save for Clark—for the time being." She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, I promise."

"Well, if there's anything you need," Stein replied, smiling, "please don't hesitate to ask. You are our honored guest for the week."

"I could use a hot shower," Linda said, "and a little downtime."

"Well, your room is up the stairs and the second door on the left," Stein answered, "and the bathroom is the first. I had planned on dinner with Mr. Allen and the others around seven, so that should give you about four hours to get settled in and relax for a bit."

Linda smiled. "That would be great, thank you." She took her suitcase from Barry and clutched one of her straps as she headed up the staircase. After she was out of sight and the two men had heard a door closed, Stein's smile slowly faded into a look of concern as he tuned to Barry.

"How is she really, Mr. Allen?" the older man asked in a soft tone.

"All things considered," Barry answered, just as softly, "she's actually doing pretty well, and I know having time off from…everything, will be good for her." Stein didn't look too convinced. "Trust me, Professor, I have a feeling Linda's time here is going to be just fine."

(End of Chapter 1)


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening, both Barry and Professor Stein—along with Cisco, Caitlin, Ronnie, and Linda—were sitting at the dining room table among plates filled with spaghetti and meatballs, fresh salad, and garlic bread. The conversation flowed between the six friends just as freely as the wine (or milk, in Linda's case) that had filled and refilled their glasses. Even Linda, who had been reluctant to join in, soon relaxed enough; pretty soon, she and Stein were engaged in a lively discussion of their own.

"…oscillate as it travels through the space-time," Linda said.

"So, you're saying it's been proven that you can't have bosons without fermions?" Stein asked.

"Yes," Linda nodded. "Rok-Var told me at the height of Krypton's scientific age, our scientists were able to harness and observe bosons and fermions interacting with each other in the space-time continuum, which in turn proved the existence of the multiverse."

"Okay, both matter and forces are needed," Cisco mumbled, grinning, his mouth full of food; he quickly swallowed. "So, where do tachyons fit it to everything?"

"And what applications did your people come up with for that discovery?" Stein added, intrigued.

Linda raised an eyebrow, smiling a little when she heard the enthusiasm in their voices. "Honestly, I couldn't really say," she admitted sheepishly as she pushed food around her plate, twirling noodles on her fork. "The only thing I ever got out of it was the basic applications I needed to answer questions related to my sixth-dimensional geometry homework." She lifted her fork to her mouth, then paused when she realized everyone was staring at her with various degrees of amusement; the young girl blushed a little, embarrassed. "Sorry." She quickly slurped her noodles, chewing.

"Why don't we discuss something other than physics?" Barry suggested, grinning slightly.

"Like?" Linda asked curiously.

"Well, Clark told me that you actually had a pretty exciting Valentine's Day weekend," Barry answered.

"Oh, yeah?" Cisco asked, grinning. "Does this involve a certain photographer who works at the Daily Planet?"

"Cisco, I'm really sure Linda doesn't want to talk about that aspect of her personal life," Caitlin said, giving him a look.

"It's okay, Caitlin," Linda replied. "It was actually pretty eventful."

"I'm sure it was," Cisco muttered softly into his drink before taking a sip. He stopped, the glass still to his lips, when he realized everyone was staring at him; he chuckled sheepishly, embarrassed. "And I did not mean that the way it sounded."

"Are you sure?" Linda asked, raising an eyebrow, smirking. "I **am** a telepath."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Cisco answered before he paused. "Wait, did you mind meld me?" Linda simply grinned. "Okay, Spock, that's rude." Even though he looked annoyed, everyone could see the corners of his mouth curled slightly as he tried not to smile.

"Relax, I didn't mind meld you," Linda reassured as she grabbed her drink, "I just wanted to see you squirm." She took a long sip, finishing her drink, before turning to Stein. "May I get some more?"

"Yes, that's fine," Stein answered. Linda blurred out of the living room with her glass. She returned a second later, sitting in her chair, her glass filled with milk; the white liquid sloshed a little but not a single drop spilled. Stein raised an eyebrow, and Linda quickly noticed.

"I did something wrong," the young girl said worriedly, "didn't I?"

"Oh, no, my dear, no," Stein quickly replied.

"Do you want me to stop?" Linda pressed. "I will if you do."

"Miss Kent," Stein said reassuringly, holding his hand up, "I just wasn't expecting you to zip in and out, that's all. You're among friends here, and your abilities are a part of who you are; if you're comfortable using them around us, then by all means, do so." He was relieved Linda relaxed and nodded. "Now, I believe you started mentioning something about an 'exciting' Valentine's Day weekend."

"Oh, yeah," Linda replied. "Well, Jimmy made me dinner and dessert, and we watched _The Princess Bride_."

"Smooth," Cisco said, grinning.

"Actually, it was to make up for getting me a birthday present that caused me to go psycho on everyone," Linda replied.

Cisco's grin slowly faded. "Oh," he said, looking apologetic.

"It's okay," Linda replied. "The next day was more eventful, actually: Jimmy went undercover at an underground fight-to-the-death club in the sewers underneath a comic book convention in Metropolis without telling anyone. I found out about it, went undercover—in a Tauriel costume, complete with ears and a red wig—to get him, ended up having to compete myself, and then had to save everyone by fighting a monster." She almost smiled when she saw everyone staring at her again.

"'Monster?'" Cisco asked. "As in—"

"As in 'eight-feet-tall-with-claws-and-spikes-strong-enough-to-shred-people-to-ribbons-and-throw-me-through-a-lead-door-but-not-durable-enough-for-me-to-stab-it-through-the-heart' monster."

"Uh, yeah, Clark didn't mention that," Barry said slowly.

"Oh, and the whole operation has some kind of connection to Cadmus," Linda added.

"The same Cadmus that experimented on Claire Selton?" Cisco asked. Linda nodded. "So, they're making monsters now?"

"I guess so," Linda replied, shrugging. "Whatever the case, whoever was in charge cleaned up everything—including what was left of the monster—before the police got there; Clark couldn't even find anything. I was also told, in so many words, that I'll be locked up until I'm thirty if I look into it further."

"Probably a good idea," Caitlin replied, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Oh, and Jimmy was hospitalized for about a week because he got injured trying to stop the bad guy who was working for whoever was working at Cadmus," Linda replied, "but it wasn't life-threatening, so he's recovering okay. Still, I think the most eventful thing actually happened after all that."

"What could be bigger than fighting a monster?" Ronnie asked cautiously.

"Jimmy's father showed up out of the blue and saved him from getting killed by said bad guy by shooting the guy five times," Linda replied. She noticed their confused expressions and sighed. "Right, you guys don't know. Well, long story short—"

"Too late," Cisco muttered.

Linda ignored him. "Jimmy's dad abandoned his family when Jimmy was eight, and everyone thought he was just a deadbeat jerk."

"And he wasn't?" Barry asked.

Linda shook her head. "Turns out he'd been—and still is—working for the American Security Agency." She waited for a reaction, but it was clear from their expressions they didn't have a clue what she was talking about. "Basically, he's an international spy for an organization that doesn't officially exist." Once again, the silence was deafening, and Linda winced slightly. "Okay, maybe I should stop talking."

"It's not that, Linda," Barry quickly reassured her. "We just weren't expecting how…eventful things would be, that's all.

Linda hesitated and sighed. "So, we learned that, not only is Jimmy's father an international spy, but he knows Clark and I are aliens."

"That can't be good," Cisco said, concerned.

"He hasn't said anything to anyone," Linda replied. "Even Jimmy's mom still doesn't know."

"And you believe him?" Stein asked.

Linda nodded. "I scanned his mind to see if he was telling the truth; he was. In fact, he's actually gone out of his way to make sure that any information about Superman—and the existence of the Girl from Metropolis—stays out of the Army's database. Well, not the whole Army, just some jerk general named Eiling." Forks clattered, startling Linda, and she looked around to see everyone staring at her with looks of shock and worry. "What?"

"'Eiling'?" Cisco asked. "As in General Wade Eiling?"

Linda furrowed her eyebrows. "You know him?"

"Unfortunately," Stein answered. "We've had a few encounters with him over the past couple of years; he tried to kidnap Ronald and myself repeatedly to 'obtain' the Firestorm Matrix for military application."

Linda suddenly closed her eyes and sighed. "Jimmy's dad said Eiling was involved in 'studying' meta-humans. I should've made the connection right there." She glanced between Ronnie and Stein. "So, why isn't he coming after you now?"

"Because of Grodd," Barry replied.

"What's a Grodd?" Linda asked.

"A really large and really pissed off telepathic gorilla who can control people," Cisco replied. "Barry fought him during his first year of being the Flash." Linda raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Cisco's expression changed. "Seriously? You're an alien with superpowers and you're having a hard time believing a telepathic gorilla exists?"

"Aliens with superpowers I've seen," Linda pointed out, "meta-humans I've seen…telepathic gorillas, not so much."

"Well, count yourself lucky," Barry replied, "because Grodd is **not** someone you want to tangle with; we barely defeated him the last time I went up against him."

"How did he get his ability?" Linda asked.

"Same way I did," Barry answered, "but it started five years ago: Wells—that is, Evil Wells—and Eiling were supposed to work on an enhanced gene therapy experiment, but Evil Wells found out that Eiling actually wanted to use Grodd to develop psychic abilities for military application."

"Which he tried to accomplish by injecting Grodd with various drugs and physically torturing him," Caitlin added.

"The latter of which I, unfortunately, was on the receiving end myself when Eiling kidnapped me," Stein replied with an uncomfortable expression.

"We were on the receiving end," Ronnie corrected.

"Wells fired Eiling from the project," Cailtin continued, "and Grodd remained on S.T.A.R. Labs property until the night of the particle accelerator explosion. When the dark matter hit Grodd, it activated all the chemicals in his body, causing his psychic abilities to emerge."

"Where is he now?" Linda asked.

"Who knows," Cisco answered, "and, honestly, if I never see King Kong again, it'll be too soon."

"So, how does this relate to Eiling not coming after Professor Stein or Ronnie?" Linda asked, slightly confused.

"Because he's pissed Grodd played him like Pinocchio," Cisco explained, "so he's busy off hunting him right now."

"And what if he catches him?" Linda asked. "What then?"

Cisco grinned. "If Eiling comes after any of us, he knows we'll release all the information connecting him to Grodd and his other experiments to the press—I'm sure the Daily Planet would love an exclusive on that. At the very least, every animal-lover group in the world will descend on his little operation like locusts on Egypt, and all that anonymity will be gone with the wind." He took a huge bite of his garlic bread, his cheeks puffed out.

"So, the question is," Ronnie asked, "why is Eiling now setting his sights on aliens if he's interested in meta-humans?"

"My guess," Stein answered, "is to see what abilities he can exploit for his military applications. Not to sound morbid, but I shudder to think of what he might accomplish if he could harness the abilities of a Kryptonian for his own personal army."

"Yeah, well, that ain't happening," Cisco mumbled around his food. "I'll shatter his spine if he tries anything." He glanced over and saw Linda staring at him, eyebrow raised; he quickly swallowed nervously. "Uh…maybe we should go over the agenda for the week."

Linda furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced around; by the expressions on everyone's faces, she knew they were hiding something (and she was tempted to scan their minds and find out what), but she knew better. "Well, unless it's changed," she said slowly, "I think I have everything memorized."

"You know," Stein said, "if Eiling's interested in Linda, it might be advisable if we postpone this week's plans."

"Oh, please don't," Linda said, her voice full of worry. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

"Linda, we don't want to risk your safety," Barry replied. "I'm sure Clark and your parents would feel the same way."

Linda looked crestfallen. "You know what I've been through lately," she said. "You know how long it took for J'onn to convince my parents that having this vacation would help me deal with everything that's happened."

Barry sighed. "Linda, I—"

"Look, I **need** this," Linda interrupted. "I won't use my powers in public, I promise, but don't send me home. Please."

Barry stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, her blue eyes big and pleading, and he sighed. "Okay," he said, "you can stay," Linda smiled gratefully, "but you have to promise to be careful."

"I will," Linda said. "I promise."

"And if we feel there's even the slightest hint of danger," Barry added, "we will make arrangements for you to get home. Deal?"

"Deal," Linda replied, trying her best not to grin or sound too excited. "Thank you." Barry simply smiled and nodded, and the six friends continued enjoying their dinner.

(End of Chapter 2)


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Readers, please remember, in my universe, the particle accelerator happened in 2011, so Barry has been the Flash for about two years now, so he's got a but more handle on his speed and abilities (he's about Mach 15 on speed at the moment. This also goes for Cisco as well: he can actually successfully do concussive attacks at this point, but he can't 'vibe' other dimensions just yet.)_

* * *

"This stinks."

Linda folded her arms, trying not to look too pouty, as she sat in the front passenger seat of Professor Stein's sedan, staring ahead as the car maneuvered through downtown Central City; her backpack rested on the floor between her feet.

"Miss Kent," Stein said calmly, keeping his eyes forward, "while I understand your displeasure at the change of itinerary, I fail to see why it warrants such a pejorative statement."

"Sorry," Linda replied sarcastically. "How about 'Tut, me thinkest this scenario is likened to the odor of a bull's excrement."

Stein gave a forced chuckled, completely unamused. "So the young artist is a comedian now," he remarked.

"Look, I'm not mad you have to go take care of something at the university," Linda said. "Someone needs your help, and we can still go to the museums later."

"Then why the sour attitude?" Stein asked.

"I still don't see why I can't just zip over to S.T.A.R. Labs on my own," Linda answered. "I'll move so fast that everyone'll think I'm Barry."

"For starters," Stein replied, "you don't leave electrical discharges in your wake as Mr. Allen does, but—most importantly—you made a promise last night **not** to use your abilities in public."

"Can I take that back?" Linda asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," Stein answered. He glanced over as Linda leaned back in the seat and sighed, and he hid a small smile. The rest of the drive was quiet until the car pulled up near a chain-link fence surrounding the defunct STAR Labs facility and stopped. "Well, here we are." Linda unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, grabbing her backpack before she exited the vehicle. "I'll return as soon as I can, I promise. Oh, and please don't forget to have Dr. Snow or Mr. Ramon call Mr. Allen and inform him of the change of plans."

"Will do," Linda replied, trying to ignore the condescending tone in his voice as she closed the door. She waved slightly as the car drove off, and then slung her backpack over one shoulder before glancing around, making sure Stein was out of sight. She gripped her bag tightly and crouched low; gathering energy, she easily launched herself into the air and sailed over the chain-link fence, landing effortlessly on the other side. Standing straight, she glanced back at the fence with a slight smirk on her face before calmly walking toward the building.

* * *

It took four hours before Stein's colleague had been satisfied with the professor's assistance, and Stein hurried as quickly—and safely—as he could over to S.T.A.R. Labs; he parked his car and later, Stein pulled up and parked his vehicle near the chain-link fence. He had just exited when his phone rang; he pulled his phone from his pocket and saw it Barry's number.

"Hello, Mr. Allen," Stein answered.

"Hey, Professor," Barry replied. "How are things going?"

"Doing quite well, actually. We finished sooner than I'd anticipated."

"That's great. Does that mean you're free for lunch?"

"I don't see how that should be a problem. What does Miss Kent think?"

There was a pause. "Uh," Barry said slowly, clearly confused, "why are you asking me?"

"Because Miss Kent is with you," Stein stated, "and Mr. Ramon and Dr. Snow. I dropped her off at S.T.A.R. Labs four hours ago."

"Professor, Caitlin has been helping me with a case at CCPD for the past four hours," Barry said, his voice rising slightly in panic.

Stein paled a bit. "You mean," his voice a little shaky, "I left Miss Kent alone with Mr. Ramon for four hours?"

"Where are you?" Barry asked worriedly.

"Standing outside S.T.A.R. Labs right now."

"Stay there," Barry said. "Caitlin and I'll be right over." He hung up, and Stein had barely put his phone back in his pocket when a yellow blur quickly approached and stopped right next to him; Barry carefully put Caitlin down, and they looked at the facility. "Well, the building's still standing; that's a good sign."

"Professor, why did you drop Linda off here?" Caitlin asked as Barry opened the fence gate, letting the trio inside; they walked at a brisk pace toward the building. "I thought you two were going to spend the day touring museums."

"We were," Stein replied, "but a colleague of mine called for my assistance on an important project. Miss Kent reassured me that she didn't object to it, so I dropped her off with the intention of picking her up, treating her to a nice lunch, and then spending the afternoon touring the museums."

"Why didn't you call?" Barry asked.

"I told Miss Kent to have either Dr. Snow or Mr. Ramon call you and inform you of what had happened. It goes without saying that that obviously did **not** happen—and now, heaven knows what's been transpiring during this entire time."

"Okay, before we all get paranoid," Caitlin said, "Cisco is actually pretty responsible when he wants to be, and he wouldn't do anything that would put Linda in danger or hurt her—not that she could actually **get** hurt, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Barry agreed, trying to sound convinced, "I'm sure everything's fine; how much trouble could those two actually get into in four hours?" They had just reached the front doors when they felt the ground vibrating slightly; the trio paused and stared at each other, eyes widening, before they hurried into the building as another vibration resonated through the facility.

* * *

The elevator doors opened, and Barry, Caitlin, and Stein hurried out, running down the hall as the vibrations—now stronger—continued reverberating repeatedly through the corridor; the trio turned left and ran into the Cortex. Cisco sat at the central station, staring calmly at one of the computer screens, almost like he was oblivious to the repeated tremors shaking the entire structure.

"Cisco, what is going on?" Caitlin asked as the they stopped behind him. Cisco held up one hand without taking his eyes off the screen, and the trio looked down and saw their friend holding a stopwatch in his other hand; their expressions became horrified when they glanced at the computer screen. Linda stood inside one of the Pipeline's containment units, pounding away as hard as she could at the glass door, a determined expression on her face; the glass, already—spider-webbing from previous impacts. Barry opened his mouth, but then Linda gave a final punch, sending her clenched fist right through the glass, sending shards flying out from the impact.

"Time!" Cisco shouted into the microphone at the same time as he hit the stop button on the stopwatch.

Linda's hard expression suddenly morphed into a proud grin as she looked into the camera. "How did I do?"

"Ten seconds," Cisco replied, grinning proudly. He glanced over and saw his friends staring at him. "Hey, guys."

"Mr. Ramon, have you taken complete leave of your senses?" Stein demanded angrily.

Cisco's smile faded as he appeared genuinely confused. "What?"

"Why the hell is Linda in a containment unit?" Barry asked in utter disbelief.

"Because we wanted to see how long it'd take her to get out," Cisco answered slowly, his tone indicating that it was something the newcomers should have picked up on in the first place.

"What would possess you to even **consider** that to be a good idea?" Caitlin asked, her expression a cross between disbelief and anger. There was a sudden whooshing sound, some papers flew off the workstation, and everyone looked over to see Linda standing nearby; she stared at Cisco with a big grin.

"Was it really ten seconds?" she asked excitedly. She finally noticed the others and waved slightly. "Hey, guys, when did you get here? Did you finish your work, Professor?"

"Miss Kent," Stein said, trying to keep his anger in check, "did we forget to do something after our arrival four hours ago?"

Linda looked confused, then she slowly closed her eyes. "I forgot to call Barry. I am so sorry."

"Hey, in all fairness," Cisco spoke up, "it was kind of my fault," he turned to Linda, "and, yes, it really was ten seconds." Linda grinned, and the quickly two high-fived each other; Cisco winced a little, shaking his hand.

"Sorry," Linda apologized sheepishly.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on," Barry asked, "because right now, all I'm seeing is our lives coming to an abrupt end after the Kents find out Linda spent her first day of Spring Break locked in one of the Pipeline's containment units."

"Well, it all started when I came into the Cortex," Linda replied, "and I told Cisco what was going on."

"I was working on a project at the time," Cisco replied, "and I told her I'd call you when I was finished, and Linda went exploring."

"And she wound up in a containment unit?" Caitlin asked.

"Nope," Cisco replied proudly, "she wound up on the treadmill."

"I hadn't been on it the last time I was here," Linda explained, "due to the emergence of my Arctic hurricane breath—and I was a little bored—so Cisco let me switch it on, and I went for a little 'run.'"

"Clocked her fastest speed at Mach 7.8," Cisco said.

Stein didn't look impressed. "But that doesn't explain how," he paused, his expression changing, "did you say 'Mach 7.8?'" Cisco nodded, and Stein glanced at Linda in shock. "That's…astonishing."

"Don't worry, Barry," Linda added, "Cisco said your top speed's still a **lot** faster than mine; even Clark could still beat me in a race at this point."

"But I did some calculations," Cisco continued, "and I think Skittles stands a good chance of actually getting close to Mach 10 as she gets older. And if you think that's cool, you should see what else she's capable of."

"Cisco, we already know what Linda's capable of," Caitlin replied.

"But only to the extent of 'fast,' 'strong,' and other annoyingly subjective terms," Cisco said. "I thought it might be important to put some actual values to those abilities."

"And I agreed with him," Linda added. "To be honest, I've always wondered exactly what I'm capable of," she shrugged a little, "especially after January."

"So, what did you discover?" Stein asked, intrigued.

"Well, in addition to running as fast as she can," Cisco answered, "she can lift at least 100 tons without any real effort—however, as I was monitoring her energy levels, I noticed the more she lifted, the quicker her levels diminished; same when we tested the extent of her invulnerability, though I think the term 'faster than a speeding bullet' is being a little conservative, considering actually **dodging** a bullet took no real effort."

"You shot a bullet at her?!" Barry asked incredulously.

"Chill, dude," Cisco replied, "it was only one time—and no one got hurt. Anyway, Skittles is also invulnerable to a lightning bolt."

"But it did tingle for a few moments," Linda added.

"Now, we didn't test her telepathy or telekinesis," Cisco continued, "figured you'd want to do that, Caitlin, but we did make a breakthrough concerning something that's been bugging me since Clark first showed up: how can a Kryptonian—with a dense molecular structure—physically hold onto something without it crumbling under their grip?"

"How?" Stein asked curiously.

"Turns out Skittles," Cisco replied, "and—I'm willing to bet—all Kryptonians produce a type of biomatrix force field that extends about a quarter inch from their body."

"That's why anything close to our bodies," Linda said, "like clothes—including Clark's suit, minus his cape—doesn't get damaged."

"And they can extend that force field to objects," Cisco added, "which explains why they can hold things and not break them."

"Or why when Clark catches someone who's falling," Linda replied, "they don't break their neck or something."

"And, even though we couldn't figure this one out, yet," Cisco continued, "it can be turned on and off at will, which is why Clark and Linda can still bend steel with their bare hands. So, after running all those tests, I was a little curious about the extent of durability of the Pipeline, so I had Linda test one of the containment units. As you guys saw, the units may be able to hold meta-humans, but they are in no way able to contain a Kryptonian."

"Okay, from a scientific standpoint this is interesting," Caitlin said, "but, Cisco, how on Earth did you even conduct all those tests?"

"Dr. Snow," Stein replied, "it might be in our best interest **not** to know; maybe Miss Kent's family will agree with 'plausible deniability' as an acceptable defense."

"Aw, come on, guys," Linda said, "no one got hurt, the building's still standing…and we actually enjoyed ourselves."

"Linda even managed to tackle one of our own personal problems," Cisco replied. "Remember the Reverse Flash's ring?"

"What about it?" Barry asked.

Cisco nodded at Linda. "Linda figured out how it worked," he replied. "We made a few adjustments, tested it out," he grabbed something off the workstation and tossed it to Barry, who easily caught it, "so, now you don't have to worry about lugging that duffle bag of yours around anymore."

Barry stared at the ring in awe for a few moments before looking over at Linda, who looked a little embarrassed. "For real?" he asked.

"Figured I'd do **something** productive while I'm here," Linda replied.

"Thank you," Barry said gratefully before slowly slipping the ring on his right middle finger; it was a perfect fit; Linda gave him a small smile. "Well, uh, you guys wanna get some lunch?"

"Sure, I'm game," Cisco replied, standing up, and the five friends headed out of the Cortex. "Oh, hey, this gives me an idea: we could test Linda's metabolism. If Barry's is high, Linda's is probably off the charts."

"Cisco…."

"No, Caitlin, this is a good idea. We could go to Big Belly Burger, get twenty Triple Triples…."

(End of Chapter 3)


	4. Chapter 4

_(Author's Note: due to how I feel Cisco would treat Linda, part of this chapter borrowed elements from the Chronicles of Cisco concerning where he's playing 'tour guide' with the Segways; I tweaked it a bit, but I give the CW credit for the inspiration. No copyright infringement intended; this is just for amusement.)_

The rest of the day went off uneventfully. Barry, Caitlin, and Stein had managed to talk Cisco out of spending almost five hundred dollars at Big Belly Burger to satisfy his scientific curiosity concerning Linda's metabolism. After lunch, the five parted ways—Barry back to CCPD, Caitlin and Cisco to S.T.A.R. Labs, and Stein and Linda went on their museum tour around Central City before heading back to Stein's house at the end of the day.

The next morning, the two arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs as Cisco had asked; Barry, Caitlin, and Ronnie were also there—more out of morbid curiosity about what Cisco actually had planned. It didn't take long to see exactly why their resident engineer hadn't said anything before that morning about his agenda with Linda.

Cisco had taken two Segways—amped up with Kawasaki 4-cylinder supercharged engines—and proudly announced that he would be taking Linda on 'Cisco's Central City Sightseeing Tour.' Everyone just stared, unsure what to say, as Cisco explained the day's agenda.

"So, we ready to kick it, Skittles?" Cisco asked Linda after he'd finished. He held up a vintage, brown leather Garman style motorcycle helmet and goggles; he glanced at the group, who appeared slightly apprehensive. "See, guys, I'm thinking safety, here—well, the appearance of safety, I mean, because we all know Skittles over here would end up cracking the pavement if she falls hard enough instead of the pavement cracking her."

"Cisco, if you're trying to convince us this is a good idea," Ronnie said, "this isn't helping."

"Hey, this is a stellar idea, okay?" Cisco said, slightly defensive. "This is the **only** way to see Central City in style."

Linda eyed the helmet warily, glanced at the Segways, then looked up at Cisco. He had this puppy dog look on his face; she could tell he'd spent a lot of time—and money—putting this whole thing together. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, her expression softening.

"Ready," she said, taking the helmet. Cisco grinned as the young girl carefully put the helmet and goggles on, positioning them over her glasses, then looked at the others. "Well, how do I look?"

Barry raised an eyebrow as he glanced between Cisco and Linda. They both looked positively ridiculous—especially Linda with her backpack hanging from her shoulders—but at the same time the speedster couldn't really find anything wrong with his friend's plans; they were unconventional, but not dangerous—for the most part. The young man smiled. "Like you're ready to have fun," he replied.

"Okay, so let's get going," Cisco said as he walked over to one of the Segways and got on. "Hop on, Skittles."

"How does this thing work?" Linda asked as approached the other Segway and carefully climbed on.

"Oh, it's simple," Cisco said. "You switch it on, and you just shift your weight forward to go forward or backward to back up. If you wanna go faster, you just lean further forward or backward, and you steer by using the handlebar. You know how to drive a car, right?"

"I got my license last month," Linda replied, "yes, I know how to drive a car."

"Well, it's like that," Cisco continued, "only you're standing…and you use your weight to determine the speed, which means it doesn't have brakes—you know what, forget what I said, it's nothing like driving a car." He switched on his Segway and leaned forward slightly, and the Segway slowly moved forward; he circled around the Cortex, expertly avoiding his friends and obstacles before stopping next to Linda. "There. You try."

Linda hesitated as she looked at her Segway, then she furrowed her eyebrows in determination. _I can do this_ , she thought. _This is Earth technology, for crying out loud. It's not that complicated_. She turned on her ride and took a deep breath, holding onto the handlebars before slightly leaning forward; the machine rolled forward in jerky motions as Linda tried to find her center of balance. It took a little getting used to, but the young girl was a quick learner, and in a few minutes, she was rolling expertly—if not slowly—around the Cortex with a big smile on her face.

"There ya go, Skittles," Cisco grinned proudly. "Come on, let's go." He rolled around the workstation, heading out of the Cortex, turning left in the hallway.

"Coming!" Linda said, following him.

"I must say I had my doubts," Stein replied to the others, "but it appears they may have been unfounded." They watched as Linda turned right; a few seconds later, there was a small crashing sound. The trio watched as Linda rolled back into view, heading down the path Cisco had gone.

"I'm fine!" she said as she waved a little.

"Then again," Stein continued, "maybe not."

* * *

For the next few hours, Cisco—true to his word—took Linda on a unique tour of Central City. As they zigged and zagged around people and traffic, Linda listened to Cisco go on and on about the history of the city. Most of it was pretty fascinating, but Linda could have done without knowing about the hydraulic-installed sewer system in the early 1900s; still, she listened patiently, knowing how important it was to Cisco for her to enjoy herself.

Their first stop was the Central City Arcade, where Cisco explained he had spent a good portion of his childhood. He cashed in a big bucket of quarters, grabbed a couple of orange sodas, and showed Linda (who had never touched a video game before) the ropes of everything from Q*bert to Mortal Combat; the teenager didn't do so well on the regular games, but everything changed when they moved over to Dance Dance Revolution.

Cisco kept bragging about the game being his jam, but when the two of them actually got on the platform and danced to Eugenics' 'Sweet Dreams,' it was Linda's fancy footwork that proved too much for the engineer; he had to take a break and recover, watching as the teenager boogied to song after song after song. After her fifth perfect round, Cisco decided he wanted a coffee break, and all but dragged Linda away from the game; they left the arcade and zoomed over to Jitters, grabbing a couple of frozen coffees (with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce on Linda's) before heading to the park.

"So, you having a good time?" Cisco asked as they sat on a bench, their Segways parked nearby.

"Definitely," Linda replied before taking a sip. "I mean, it's a little weird not waking up at five every morning to do the chores," she dropped her voice a little, "or worry about my powers or anything like that—aside from doing all those tests yesterday. It's nice to just feel…normal, for a change," she shrugged, "or about as normal as I can, I guess."

"I hear you on that one," Cisco muttered. He glanced over and saw Linda looking at him oddly, and the young man inwardly winced. "Uh…, I mean…." He paused and sighed. "Well, you might as well know."

"Know what?" Linda asked, intrigued.

Cisco took a deep breath, lowering his voice. "I…have…powers," he said slowly.

Linda furrowed her eyebrows. "You're a meta-human?" she asked softly.

Cisco nodded. "When I said I'd shatter Eiling's spine if he came after you," he said, "I wasn't speaking metaphorically." He paused, trying to gather his words properly. "My power involves 'vibing' things." Linda looked confused. "You know that all matter vibrates at different frequencies, right?" Linda nodded. "Well, I have the ability to tap into those vibrations and observe or manipulate them. You remember when you came to get info on Cadmus, and I touched your shoulder as you were leaving?"

"Yeah, you had this weird look on your face when I turned around," Linda replied. She paused, and her eyes widened slightly. "Wait, are you saying you 'vibed' me?"

"Yep," Cisco said. "I…saw this image of you…engulfed in fire…with your cousin's S-emblem on your chest…and then you were involved in an explosion with a girl who can flame on and off at will."

"Are you saying you can see the future?" Linda asked softly.

"Future, past, present," Cisco answered, "alternate timelines…pretty much anything that vibrates is fair game." Linda just stared at him in awe. "Oh, right, uh…well, this is going to sound really, **really** strange—even by our standards—but almost a year after Barry became the Flash, he had to deal with a meta-human named Mark Mardon who had the ability to control weather, while Caitlin and I were trying to get evidence on Evil Wells. Wells ended up killing me at the same time Mardon created a tsunami heading for Central City, so Barry had to run back and forth really fast to create a wall of wind. He did his first time jump to before all that happened and changed things to where I didn't get killed and Mardon was captured before he could create the tsunami, but because my 'vibing' abilities started manifesting themselves, I was able to retain memories of that alternate timeline in this one." He saw Linda's stunned expression. "And I just totally freaked you out, didn't I?"

"Uh...no," Linda said slowly. Cisco didn't appear convinced, and Linda's expression softened. "Cisco, I'm not freaked out, really. Barry told me about his time traveling ability…he just didn't tell me the details of how it manifested."

"There's something else," Cisco continued. Linda raised an eyebrow as she watched Cisco glance around, then he stopped. "There, watch." Linda looked over and saw a paper cup on the ground near a trashcan; he held up his right hand, palm out. The young girl's eyes widened as the cup was suddenly blasted backward about ten feet; she looked over at Cisco as he quickly put his hand down.

"Concussive blasts," the teenager whispered. Cisco hesitated, then Linda broke into a grin. "That is **so** awesome!"

"You really think so?" Cisco asked.

"Totally," Linda answered. "You know, we are gonna have to test your blasts against my telekinesis, see which one is stronger."

Cisco grinned and chuckled. "Please, girl," he said, "I can tap into **any** vibration, which I don't think is limited to human physiology."

"We'll just have to put that to the test this week," Linda replied, smiling.

"Deal," Cisco grinned before taking a sip of his drink, then he groaned. "Aw, come on, I hate frozen drinks and hot weather."

Still smiling, Linda gently took his drink and glanced around before blowing a gentle puff of cold air on top of the plastic cup, instantly cooling the melted liquid inside to a thick slushie-like consistency; she handed the drink back to Cisco. "There."

"Oh, you are awesome," Cisco replied, before taking a sip; he closed his eyes with content. "You do realize you'd make a killing as a caterer, right?"

O"I'll keep that in mind," Linda said, smiling before taking a sip of her own drink. "Thanks, Cisco."

"For what?" Cisco asked.

"For all this," Linda answered, "and for trusting me enough to tell me about your abilities; that means a lot."

"No sweat, Skittles," Cisco replied before they leaned back and continued sipping their drinks in silence.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time Cisco and Linda returned to S.T.A.R. Labs; they parked the Segways in the garage before heading to the Cortex. Barry, Caitlin, Ronnie, and Stein tried to appear busy, but they made no attempt to hide their relief when they saw the two walking in, laughing and talking to themselves.

"Looks like you two had a good time," Barry said, smiling.

"With no disasters," Ronnie muttered, earning an elbow in his side from Caitlin and a small snicker from Stein.

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm an excellent tour guide," Cisco replied, looking a little affronted.

"He was," Linda said. "He took me to the arcade—"

"I creamed her in Mortal Combat," Cisco interrupted proudly.

"I danced circles around you in DDR," Linda retorted out. "Six perfect rounds."

"Yeah, I still think you cheated," Cisco replied.

"Then we got some coffee from Jitters," Linda continued, smiling, "and spent some time in the park—where Cisco told me about his meta-human abilities."

"Figure Skittles is already an honorary member of Team Flash, anyway," Cisco replied. "So, after our coffee break, we had lunch, then we spent the rest of the day at the waterfront just chilling; well, I chilled while Linda worked on some sketches of the city."

"Here, let me show you what I did," Linda replied as she removed her backpack from her shoulders and unzipped it. "I did some really awesome sketches of the—" The young girl yelped in shock and dropped her backpack when her feet suddenly flew into the air, as if someone had grabbed her ankles and yanked upward. The others watched in stunned silence as the rest of Linda's body rose quickly into the air, her arms and legs flailing; she smacked into the tiles, which cracked from impact. The young girl stared down at her friends, her eyes wide, as she levitated with her back pressed against the ceiling.

"Okay, someone reversed the polarity of the Krypton flow," Cisco said after a few moments of silence.

"Uh, you okay, Linda?" Barry asked slowly.

"Sure," Linda answered, trying to sound calm, but her voice and expression betrayed her. "I'm just floating on the ceiling, that's all." She tried 'peeling' herself off the ceiling, but she wasn't budging

"Well, don't panic, okay," Barry replied, "we'll help you out; just hang on." The speedster closed his eyes when he realized what he'd just said.

"So, any ideas how to get her down?" Caitlin asked.

"Oh, yeah," Cisco answered, "I know exactly what to do." Everyone looked at him questioningly.

"And what, exactly, do you know about flying, Mr. Ramon?" Stein asked.

"Nothing," Cisco replied.

Stein appeared slightly exasperated. V"Then how do you plan on helping the poor girl?"

Cisco pulled out his phone. "By calling someone who does. **This** is a job for Superman."

(End of Chapter 4)


	5. Chapter 5

Clark hurried down the corridor at a quick pace, straightening his tie, trying not to appear worried or frustrated. When Barry had called him a short time ago, all he had said was that a situation had come up with Linda and could Clark come over as soon as possible to help deal with it. The reporter had been tempted to call his parents and give them a heads up, but decided to get all the facts first before stirring up a potential hornet's nest—especially with it being Linda's first time away from the family for any extended time, and there hadn't been anything in the news that indicated Linda had been spotted or something.

"Hello?" he called out as he turned left and headed into the Cortex. He stopped short when he saw not only Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin, but Ronnie and Stein as well, standing around—and no sign of his cousin. "This can't be good if everyone's here…where's Linda? Is she okay?"

"Depends on how you define 'okay,' Clark."

Clark furrowed his eyebrows; he had recognized his cousin's voice, but it was coming from above him. The reporter craned his head upward and saw Linda pressed against the ceiling, arms folded, looking extremely agitated.

"Because," Linda continued, "being on the ceiling without the ability to get off isn't what I would classify as 'okay.'" Clark raised an eyebrow, then slowly smiled and let out a sigh of relief; Linda noticed and frowned. "What was that for?"

"I'm just…happy you're fine," Clark replied.

"Fine would be me not feeling like a fly on sticky paper right now," Linda replied, and Clark heard the fear in her voice as she tried masking it. "I can't even get off this ceiling."

The reporter removed his glasses and handed them to Barry before gently pushing off the floor and gently floating up to his cousin. "You know," he said softly, "when this happened to me, I was actually stuck on the barn roof for over a day before I learned how to get back on the ground."

"Clark, I can't stay up here that long," Linda replied, hissing in a panicky voice.

"Trust me," Clark reassured her, "I think you're going to master this a **lot** quicker than I did."

"Oh?" Linda asked, unconvinced. "Why?"

"Three reasons," Clark answered, "you not scared of heights like I was, you've been wanting to fly as long as you've been on Earth," he shrugged, "and you have me for a teacher." Linda looked a little unconvinced, but Clark simply smiled as he carefully removed her glasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket. "Now, first thing's first: getting down. It's not as hard as you think it might be. All you really need to do is just…think about going down—and you will."

"And I suppose I 'think happy thoughts' to go up?" Linda snarked.

Clark ignored the remark. "Come on," he said. "Just try it. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, relax, and…will it to happen."

Linda sighed. "Fine," she said, unconvinced. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then she shook her head and opened them. "See, I told you—" She suddenly shouted as she plummeted; the group below were thankfully out of the way as Linda slammed into the floor, sending pieces scattering in different directions. Everyone hurried over as Clark descended, but by the time anyone had reached her, the young girl was already getting up.

"Are you okay?" Barry reflexively asked.

"I'm fine," Linda answered, annoyed, as she brushed her clothes off. She glanced at the others, who appeared just as concerned, and she sighed. "Really, I'm okay; my father used to hit me a whole lot harder than I hit the floor." She looked over as Clark descended and landed next to him. "So, I guess I'm not off to a great start, huh?"

"Actually, you did just as well as I did," Clark replied, "only I landed on the tractor; Dad wasn't too thrilled about that."

"You know," Caitlin spoke up, "this might be not be the best place to teach someone how to…fly," she shook her head a little, "and I can't believe I actually said that."

"We got the warehouse," Cisco pointed out. "It's got lots of space and high ceilings."

"So, I can fall from even greater heights," Linda muttered, crossing her arms. "Perfect."

"Come on, Short Stack," Clark replied, putting an arm around her shoulders as Cisco led everyone out of the Cortex.

 _Author's note: I know this is a short chapter, but the next chapter is_ _ **really**_ _long, so I had to cut it off here._

(End of Chapter 5)


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know if this is such a good idea."

Linda appeared uneasily as she floated with Clark nearly the ceiling about forty feet above the S.T.A.R. Labs warehouse. Below, Barry and the others stood off to one side on the ground, watching.

"Trust me," Clark said, keeping an arm around her waist. "I know what I'm doing here; this is how I learned—by jumping from the loft until I got it right; it **did** work."

"After falling **how** many times?" Linda asked pointedly. Clark opened his mouth, but stopped. "You know, it's never a good sign when you're being evasive."

"I was acrophobic," Clark retorted. "You're not, and you're going to do just fine." Without warning he let his cousin go; the young girl's eyes widened, and her screams echoed loudly as she plunged toward the ground. Barry blurred underneath the teenager and rotated his arms as fast as he could, creating a vortex of wind, catching Linda and lowering her to safely to the floor as the others hurried over.

"You okay?" Cisco asked, worriedly.

"No," Linda gasped for air, looking petrified. She glanced up incredulously as Clark descended, landing beside her. "You dropped me."

"Only because I knew it would motivate you," Clark said. "Now, I know you're probably—" He was interrupted as Linda slammed her fist into his face, sending the reporter sailing backward through the air; he hit the floor, the floor cratering from impact, pieces flying as he tumbled and rolled, stopping near the far end of the warehouse. He slowly sat up, rubbing his jaw, as he stared at his cousin in disbelief; she glared at him as the others, staying quiet, stared in shock. Clark blurred over, stopping ten feet away, looking dismayed.

"Why did you hit me?" he demanded.

"You dropped me!" Linda repeated, her voice laced with anger and betrayal. "How could you do that?"

"Because that's how I learned!" Clark retorted.

"Last time I checked," Linda replied, angrily, "I'm not you, Clark!"

"Okay," Barry said as he and Cisco got between the feuding cousins, blocking them from each other, "why don't we just cool off a little." The last thing any of them wanted was two angry Kryptonians duking it out…anywhere.

"I know you're not me, Linda," Clark continued, "but that's why I'm here: to help you get this under control; that's only going to happen if you relax."

"Well, 'let's drop Linda from forty feet until she learns to fly' is **not** my idea of relaxing," Linda retorted.

"Hey, I might have an idea," Cisco said slowly, raising his hand; everyone looked at him, and the engineer felt a little self-conscious, but he took a deep breath. "What about music?"

"Music?" Clark asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Caitlin said. "There have been numerous studies showing that people who listen to music have a release of dopamine into their brains, eliciting the same type of 'reward response' as those who associate good feelings with food or money or even psychoactive drugs."

"Sorta like the feeling of euphoria I had when I was on red kryptonite?" Linda asked wryly as she folded her arms.

Caitlin winced a little, but nodded. "Yes," she replied slowly, "but it can be associated with whatever you consider to be a positive thing—your artwork, for instance—or when you hear a song you like; because it makes you feel good, you learn to associate that particular object with a positive feeling, so it releases more dopamine into your brain," she paused for a moment, "but that's assuming Kryptonians have the same neurological responses humans do. I mean, if you're a telepath, that could mean different neurochemicals, which could mean vastly different neurological responses."

"Actually, I think you're on to something, there," Clark said before looking at his cousin. "You always have the radio going in your studio when you're working; I can tell from the look on your face it helps you focus."

"And you were majorly in the zone during Dance Dance Revolution earlier today," Cisco added.

"And remember when I took you around the world for the first time that one night?" Clark continued. "It was the night you heard your first real song." He smiled a bit. "I still remember that look on your face, how happy you were."

Linda's expression softened. "Yeah, I remember," she replied, unable to hold back her smile.

"Then why don't we try to focus on that, okay?" Clark suggested.

"Are you going to drop me again?" Linda asked pointedly.

Clark took in a deep breath and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry for dropping you," he said. "I shouldn't have done that, and I won't do it again; I promise."

Appearing grateful, Linda nodded before sighing. "Okay, let's give this a shot," she said, trying not to sound too unsure.

"Sweet," Cisco said, grinning.

"We'll give you some space," Barry added. Everyone but Clark and Linda left the area, heading to a small raised platform about twenty feet away; the platform had several desks and computers on it.

"Okay, so first, we gotta get the perfect music," Cisco replied, sitting at one of the desks and typing on one of the computer keyboards. "Something to set the right mood."

" _I believe I can fly_ ," echoed loudly from the warehouse speakers. " _I believe I can touch the sky_." Everyone stared at him incredulously, and the engineer forced a smile, chuckling loudly.

"Okay," Cisco said, typing quickly. "Apparently not that…let's try something else." He hit another button on the keyboard.

" _I wish that I could fly, into the sky, so very high, just like a dragonfly._ "

"Mr. Ramone, I don't think this is the time for any kind levity," Stein remarked over the loud music.

"Hey, these were all songs from Skittles' Facebook page," Cisco replied defensively as he stopped the music. "She's got, like, over five hundred different songs listed, so I just did a search of anything related to flying."

"Maybe we go with the song Linda listened when I took her out?" Clark suggested.

"I think Katy Perry might be a little too…intense," Linda replied. "You said I need to relax if I'm going to learn, right?" She glanced at Cisco. "Could we use a slower song," she shrugged, "maybe something a little more…classical?"

Cisco, smiled, nodded in understanding, and went back to typing. "Got it," he said after a few moments, folding his arms proudly.

Stein leaned over as the soft melody of strings resonated through the speakers, and he slowly smiled. "'Don't only practice your art,'" he said, almost as if he was reminiscing, "'but force your way into its secrets,'" he glanced over at the young teenager, still smiling as the music's volume slowly increased, "'art deserves that, for it and knowledge can raise man to the Divine.'"

"Beethoven," Linda replied, smiling as she instantly recognized both the quote and the song. She glanced at Clark as the graceful sounds of a cello, playing the opening notes of One Republic's 'Secrets,' filled the large warehouse. "Let's do this."

"Alright," Clark said, "first thing you're going to is simply go up and down." He gently pushed off the ground, floating straight up about twenty feet, then he effortlessly slowed down and descended, softly landing in front of his cousin. "Just like that." Linda appeared a little uncertain, and Clark took her hands. "Look, we'll do it a few times together? Push off, up, down, push off again? Just keep your focus on the music, let that be your world right now, okay? One, two, three."

The two cousins gently pushed off at the same time, both rising slowly into the air as Clark gently pulled his cousin up with him. Linda They kept their eyes locked as they slowly stopped around twenty feet before Clark descended, holding Linda's hands as she descended with him. When their feet touched the floor, they pushed off, once again; Clark still held his cousin's hands, but he didn't having to pull her quite so much as before.

When they had descended the third time, bending their knees to launch themselves again, Clark let go of Linda's hands, remaining on the ground as she rose back into the air; she looked down at him in panic, but he simply smiled reassuringly.

"You got this," he said softly with confidence.

Linda glanced up at the ceiling as she she reached twenty feet; she swallowed nervously, but took a deep breath, closing her eyes in concentration as she let the music penetrate into her, feeling every note. She felt her ascension slow before descending. When her feet touched the ground, she bent her knees and launched herself into the air once again; keeping her focus, she stopped in midair, hovering for a few seconds, before heading down again. She landed softly, staying on the ground, and she opened her eyes, smiling up at Clark.

"Good job," he said proudly.

"What next?" Linda asked, a little more excitedly.

"Well, you seem to have a handle on the vertical part," Clark replied, "so, let's work on the horizontal part. You know how when you see someone do a long jump?" Linda nodded. "When you push off the next time, try to go more for distance instead of height; see how far you can jump," he shrugged, "without using all your momentum."

"So, no leaping tall buildings in a single bound?" Linda asked, smirking.

Clark rolled his eyes, smiling. "Not yet, you dork," he replied. "Give it a try…just ease into it."

Linda nodded and bent her legs, taking a deep breath. She pushed off the ground, launching herself into the air. Instead of going straight up she made a large arch, cresting at around ten feet, before slowly descending; she landed softly about twenty feet from her original position. She used her toes to propel herself back into the air, smiling and closing her eyes as she kept her arms outstretched, feeling more confident.

The melody of the song blended into an orchestral version of Beethover's 5th Symphony as the young girl reached the peak of her arch, arms still extended, and twisted her body as if she were a ballerina. She almost shouted in delight as her body glide effortlessly through the air, and she opened her eyes; her smile quickly faded as she saw herself floating toward one of the pillars. The teenager quickly turned and made swimming motions with her arms and legs, trying to change her direction, but it was futile. The metal structure bent as she collided with it before falling to the ground.

Frowning with annoyance, Linda looked up and saw Clark hurrying over to her; she held out a hand as she quickly got to her feet. "I'm fine," she said. "I got this." Clark stopped, looking uncertain, but he nodded. The young girl stood straight and took a breath, before launching herself back into air. In midair, she once again twisted her body, but this time she felt herself tumbling head over heels a few times before falling to the ground, cracking the floor underneath her. She gave a quick shout of frustration, slamming her hand down, forming a small crater, before getting to her feet, determined to get it right; she leapt into the air, hovering around twenty feet, trying to decide what to do next.

[ _I know it's frustrating, Linda, but you are so close._ ]

[ _I'm trying, Clark._ ]

"Come on, Skittles," she heard Cisco's voice whisper softly, "you got this."

Linda took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pushed off the air, propelling herself upward in an arch. As she slowly floated downward, she relaxed her entire body and closed her eyes, blocking out everything else in her mind and letting the music be the only thing in the room. She landed softly on her right foot, extending her arms, and gently propelled herself back into the air. Halfway up, something—she wasn't sure what exactly—just clicked. Keeping her arms extended, she leaned slightly and her entire body gently banked to the right until she was flying in the other direction.

The teenager grinned, thrilled that she'd finally completed a maneuver without crashing into something or falling. Feeling adventurous, she swung her lower body down, still moving forward, as she remained in a vertical position, arms extended above her; she lazily twirled a few times like a ballerina before flipping upside down. Without missing a beat and remaining upside down, she spun around, then easily turned her body, floating lazily on her back like a swimmer floating on the surface of water.

After a few seconds, she tucked her right leg back and pulled her arms close, craning her neck back slightly; her entire body banked down, banking into a large curve until she was flying right side up once more. She glided a little longer, then swung her lower body down as she descended, landing effortlessly on the floor next to Clark, a big smile on her face, as the last notes faded into silence.

"I did it," she said excitedly as she hugged her cousin, feeling like she was going to burst any second.

"I knew you could," Clark replied, hugging her back. "I'm so proud of you."

"That was…amazing," Linda continued as the others approached.

"Some might say it was 'super,'" Cisco spoke up. Everyone but Linda gave him a look. "What? I was just making a comment, people, chill."

"Actually, I felt pretty super," Linda admitted.

"Well, either way, Miss Kent," Stein said, "you are most **definitely** a natural."

"And there's only one more thing left to do," Clark replied.

"What's that?" Linda asked eagerly.

"Go back to Smallville," Clark answered.

Linda's smile faded as her expression turned into disbelief. "What?" she asked before glancing at the others, who appeared just as confused. "But…I just got here; why do I have to go home? I promise I won't fly around, Clark."

"It's really okay, Clark," Barry added. "She'll be safe with us."

Clark put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her from becoming hysterical. "I'm not talking about permanently," he replied before glancing at his friend, "and I know she is, Barry."

"Then why do I need to go home?" Linda asked.

"Because Mom and Dad will flip out if we don't tell them you can now defy gravity," Clark answered, smiling before he reached into his front pocket and pulled out Linda's glasses; the frames had been snapped in two, and both lenses had been broken, with some pieces missing. "Besides, you need to get your spare set."

(End of Chapter 6)

 _Author's note: This scene got a lot of inspiration from the 1984 Supergirl Movie; it was the first female superhero movie I'd ever seen, and the 'flying ballet' scene is still my favorite part of the movie, and it was always my intention to pay homage to that scene in this story. Also, the song that Cisco picked for Linda to fly to was "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" by the Piano Guys; it is a beautiful song, and I highly recommend it._


	7. Chapter 7

"So, we really don't have to tell them?" Linda asked as the group headed out of the entrance of the facility.

"Well, seeing how it was partially my fault for dropping you in the first place," Clark replied, "I think we can let this one slip under the radar—as long as you help repair the damages. Deal?"

"Deal," Linda replied.

"And with the two of us working together," Barry spoke up, "shouldn't take more than a few minutes, at most."

"I say one, tops," Cisco remarked, chewing on a piece of Twizzler; he glanced at Ronnie and Stein. "You know, now that Skittles can fly, it would be interesting to see who's faster between the two of you—or three, depending on how we do the head count. Now, I know that Linda's top speed was Mach 7.8 when I tested her, but that was running and—"

"What?" Clark asked, stopping hard and staring at Cisco. "Care to run that by me again?"

"Uh," Cisco said slowly, feeling all the blood draining from his face, "when I said 'tested her,' I didn't mean it quite the way it sounded." Clark looked unconvinced as he glared at the engineer, folding his arms.

"Hey, Clark, calm down," Linda said, getting between Cisco and her cousin. "It was my idea, okay? I wanted to find out the extent of my abilities, and Cisco was eager to help. So, don't make a big deal about it, or **I'll** tell Mom and Dad you **did** drop me," she poked a finger in his chest, "and, yes, I know the real reason you're not telling them what happened is because we both know they'll ask me why I didn't hit you **harder** for dropping me in the first place."

Clark opened his mouth, but he couldn't think of anything to say; he knew Linda was right. He glanced at the rest of the group then sighed, his expression softening. "Fine," he replied before he looked over Linda at Cisco. "Just make sure whatever data you collected is secured." Cisco nodded repeatedly, nervously swallowing. Clark's turned to his cousin. "I think it's time we go." He launched himself into the air.

"Uh, Clark?" Linda asked, looking up. Clark stopped around twenty feet and looked down. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Actually, I think **you** might be," Clark replied, slightly amused.

Linda furrowed her eyebrows, then the realization hit her; she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm an idiot," she muttered. She sighed and looked at her friends, smiling slightly. "Thanks for your help, guys. I'll be back soon."

"Just don't hit any seven forty-sevens," Ronnie joked.

"Unlike you almost did, Ronald?" Stein quipped with a smirk; Ronnie looked less than amused.

Linda grinned before bending her knees and propelled herself into the air; she quickly floated up to her cousin. The two cousins glanced down one more time before Clark shot further into the air. Linda gave a small wave before following her cousin, leaving the group to stare up into the night sky.

"Up, up, and away," Cisco murmured before sighing. "So, given the fact we just partook in something historical, we should celebrate."

"'Something historical'?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, yeah," Cisco answered. "Skittles has all her powers now, and—while I know it's not gonna happen any time soon—we can't ignore what that means."

"I think it means Linda should still be allowed to decide for herself what she wants, Cisco," Barry said gently.

"Of course," Cisco replied quickly. "I mean, it's not like I've been obsessing over it or anything in particular."

"You've designed her costume already, haven't you?" Caitlin asked.

"No!" Cisco protested; everyone just stared at him. "I might have…come up with a few…concept ideas. Look, I said earlier that I didn't think anything would happen any time soon, but there's nothing wrong with brainstorming."

"I'd still keep it under wraps, that's all," Barry replied with a small smile before glancing at the sky; he took a deep breath. "Well, knowing the Kents, when they learn Linda can fly, they'll probably keep her for a bit, so I think we can spare a little time." He turned to Stein. "Would it be a problem if we waited at your place until Linda's back?"

"Most definitely," Stein answered.

"Well, don't forget Linda's bag," Cisco said. "It's still in the Cortex."

Barry zoomed off and returned in less than a second, holding Linda's backpack. "Here we go," he replied.

"And it's still open," Cisco replied, grabbing the backpack's handle. He saw flashes of light and noticed he was standing in an unfamiliar location bathed in hues of deep blue. The engineer heard screams and looked around to see people running and screaming in different directions, shielding their heads with their arms as chunks of buildings and large pieces of broken glass falling from great heights. Cisco's eyes widened when he looked up and saw the entire sky was a deep, crimson red before there was another series of quick flashes of light. He gasped softly when he found himself standing with his friends outside S.T.A.R. Labs, still clutching Linda's backpack; he looked around, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked, concerned.

"What did you see?" Barry pressed, recognizing the expression on his friend's face.

"I'm not sure," Cisco said, his voice shaky. "I was in the middle of this city, and it was being torn apart—like it was being ripped at the seams—and people were running around in panic…and then I looked up and the sky was red, and I mean, like, from Amityville or something, but instead of it being on the walls, it covered the entire sky."

"Linda said the skies were red when she saw her father murder those people," Barry said slowly, trying not to sound worried. "Maybe you vibed that."

"No, that wasn't it," Cisco replied. "Linda told us her home was practically a desolate wasteland when she left."

"Then what city did you see?" Ronnie asked.

"I don't know," Cisco replied. "I'm freaking out more over the red skies thing." He looked right at Barry. "Remember when we went into the time vault the first time and saw that paper from 2024?"

"Yeah, the one that said 'Flash Missing, Vanishes in Crisis,'" Barry said slowly. "What about it?"

"Did you not see the other headline?"

"The one about Wayne Tech and Queen Industries merging?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"No, the other one," Cisco answered. "It said 'Red Skies Vanish.'"

"You think Miss Kent is connected to that?" Stein asked uncertainly.

"She mentioned a red sky in her vision," Cisco replied, "when I touched her backpack, I saw a city falling apart under a red sky, and a paper from the future makes mention of red skies. That's too many red skies to be a coincidence." He took a deep breath, calming down a bit. "Look, it might mean nothing, but could we at least check it out to be sure?"

"Yeah, sure," Barry answered. The five friends headed back into the building and made their way down to the Time Vault. Barry placed his hand in the appropriate area on the wall, opening the doorway. The lights turned themselves on as the group entered the small room, and Barry walked over to the single white pedestal on the far side of the room.

"Hello?" Barry asked uncertainly. He hadn't talked to the artificial intelligence much since their first time in the vault; he wasn't sure if the system still functioned, and—if he was truly honest—he wasn't fond of the room to begin with.

"Good evening, Barry Allen," the digitized female voice greeted her creator as her holographic image appeared before them. "How can I help you?"

"I need to see the paper from the last time I was here," Barry replied. "The headline said 'Flash Missing, Vanishes in Crisis.' It was dated April 25, 2024."

"I can find nothing in my records matching that information for that particular date," Gideon said.

Barry furrowed his eyebrows, glancing at his friends, who appeared just as confused. "There must be a mistake," he replied slowly. "I—we—remember the headlines."

"There is no mistake," Gideon said. "There is no paper with that information for that particular date in my records."

"What the frak is going on?" Cisco asked. "Did someone come in here and mess with the records?"

"No one has been here since the last time Barry Allen was in this location," Gideon replied.

"What about anything with red skies?" Barry asked. "Do you have anything related to red skies?"

"Of course," Gideon replied.

"Can we see it?" Barry pressed.

"I cannot allow you access to that information," Gideon answered.

"Why not?" Barry asked.

"It is connected to Kara Zor-El," Gideon replied. Everyone froze and stared at the hologram in stunned silence.

"You know about Kara Zor-El?" Barry asked after a few moments.

"Of course," Gideon replied.

"How?"

"That information is currently sealed," Gideon answered, "as are all her records and information."

"But you can unseal them," Barry said. "I'm asking you to unseal them."

"I cannot do that, Barry Allen," Gideon replied. "I was ordered to keep all information related to Kara Zor-El sealed."

"But you said I created you," Barry insisted, furrowing his eyebrows, "and that you would accept any command I give you."

"That is correct," Gideon affirmed.

"Okay, I'm confused," Barry said slowly. "Who ordered you to keep the data on Kara Zor-El sealed?"

"You did," Gideon answered.

Barry raised an eyebrow as everyone looked at him in shock. "Me?" he asked.

"That is correct," Gideon replied.

"When did you do that?" Cisco asked his friend.

"I didn't," Barry said to Cisco before looking back at Gideon. "Gideon, do you mean me in the future?"

"Yes," Gideon answered.

Barry furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would I do that?"

"To preserve the timeline, Barry Allen."

"I don't understand," Barry continued. "What was it about Linda—Kara—that made me order you to seal any records on her?"

"To preserve the timeline," Gideon repeated.

"Look, HAL," Cisco snapped, taking a step toward the hologram, "stop being evasive before I short out every damn circuit in your operating system." Caitlin put a hand on her friend's arm, stopping him.

Barry swallowed, trying to remain calm. "Gideon," he said slowly, "is there anything you can tell us?"

"There is one thing," Gideon answered.

"What?" Barry asked, tensing slightly.

"You said 'The Crisis must be allowed to happen,'" Gideon replied before disappearing, leaving the five friends staring in shock.

"Barry, what does that mean?" Cisco asked. "We saw the paper and the headlines—and now they don't exist?"

"I think it means, Mr. Ramone," Stein spoke up softly, "the future you, Mr. Allen, and Dr. Snow saw in the paper has changed, and—discerning from the information Gideon was able to tell us—that change is apparently connected to Miss Kent."

"But there was no mention of her in the original paper," Caitlin said.

"Well, one theory on time travel states time itself is fluid," Stein replied, "contingent on the decisions made in the past, so it makes perfect sense: Miss Kent hadn't arrived on Earth the first time you observed the paper, therefore the future was written based on that information; the moment that changed, the future changed with it."

"Sorta like in _Back to the Future II_ when Biff took the Almanac and created an alternate future starting in 1955," Cisco said.

"Precisely," Stein replied, "and we know Mr. Allen has altered the timeline before, though I wouldn't recommend doing that in this particular case." He glanced at Cisco. "That being said, it does bring up the question of what to do with what Mr. Ramone saw in his vision. Now, while I don't think for a moment Miss Kent is the cause of it, this Crisis—whatever it is—is both connected to her and serious enough to warrant Mr. Allen sealing any and all information about her at some point in the future. We need to reach an agreement on what to do next—preferably before Miss Kent returns." He saw the others glance at each other, unsure what to say, and felt relieved to know he wasn't the only one.

"We say nothing," Barry replied after a period of silence.

"You think that's a good idea?" Caitlin asked, "especially with what Linda's been through lately?"

"Linda isn't unstable," Barry said, "but if we tell her Cisco vibed a vision of a city being destroyed under a blood red sky after touching her backpack, not to mention that an AI program from the future has sealed up any information connected to her under my future self's orders, she is going to freak out—and the League will have another reason not to trust her." He shook his head. "We don't tell anyone: not the League, not her family—and definitely not to her…not until we know more about what's going on."

"And what happens if we do," Cisco asked softly.

Barry took a deep breath. "Then we'll deal with it," he replied with determination, "whatever this Crisis turns out to be."

THE END


End file.
